‘He’d Be Sitting in the Stands’ - Usain Bolt on How He Smashed the  200m World Record Without Coach Glen Mills' Help
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Usain Bolt (L) and his coach Glen Mills (R)

‘He’d Be Sitting in the Stands’ - Usain Bolt on How He Smashed the 200m World Record Without Coach Glen Mills' Help

Mark Kinyanjui 23:00 - 28.04.2025

Usain Bolt has admitted how he became the GOAT in the 200 meters despite barely being coached in the event by Glen Mills in that specific event.

Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt has explained how he became the greatest sprinter in his favorite ‘200’ meter event despite receiving any sort of tactical help from his coach Glen Mills.

With eight Olympic gold medals and multiple world records, Bolt’s status as the fastest man alive remains undisputed. He still holds world records in the 100 meters (9.58 seconds), 200 meters (19.19 seconds), and the 4x100 meters relay (36.84 seconds). 

His record-breaking spree began in 2008 when he posted 9.72 seconds in the 100m in New York, then improved it to 9.69 seconds at the Beijing Olympics, and finally shattered it with 9.58 seconds at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin. No one else has ever run under 9.70 seconds more than once — Bolt did it three times.

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In the 4x100 meters, Bolt helped Jamaica break the world record three times, clocking 37.10 in Beijing (2008), 37.04 in Daegu (2011), and 36.84 in London (2012). Jamaican teams featuring Bolt currently hold seven of the ten fastest 4x100m times in history.

It was at the Beijing Olympics where Bolt also took down Michael Johnson’s legendary 200-meter world record, lowering it from 19.32 seconds to 19.30. A year later in Berlin, he made history again by slashing it further to 19.19 seconds — a mark that still stands today.

Usain Bolt smashed the 200m world record with barely any coaching

Speaking recently on Justin Gatlin’s Ready Set Go podcast, Bolt revealed that when it came to the 200 meters, Mills had a surprisingly hands-off approach, especially during the 2008 Olympics.

 “He would stand over me all the time, watching. He’d be like, ‘Yo, do some wind sprints, do this,’” Bolt recalled. But when it was time for the 200 meters, Mills would simply send his assistant, often telling them, “Yo, go work with him.”

According to Bolt, once he had handled the 100 meters, Mills would effectively leave him on his own, believing that he knew what he was doing. 

"After I handled the 100, he’d basically be like, 'Yo, the 200 is yours — go figure it out,'" Bolt said, explaining that his coach trusted him to take care of the event he loved most.

Despite initially feeling a little abandoned during training sessions, Bolt came to understand the dynamic. 

Usain Bolt on How Glen Mills Made Him Smash the  200m World Record Without Coaching Him
Usain Bolt with Glen Mills

"Anytime it was the 100 meters, if you watched or noticed, he'd always be over me — helping with starts, doing everything," he said. "But when it came to the 200, he’d be sitting in the stands, and I'd be out there with an assistant or sometimes just by myself doing turns."

Interestingly, Bolt admitted that breaking the 200m world record wasn’t something he had even planned for in Beijing. After his historic 100m victory, his roommate at the time, Maurice Smith, encouraged him to go after the 200 meters too.

“Yo, congrats! You going for the two?” Smith asked. At that point, Bolt was still running around 19.7 seconds and hadn’t even consistently broken into the 19.6 range. "Honestly, I wasn’t even thinking about the world record," Bolt said.

Initially, Bolt considered the 200m world record untouchable. "I really wasn’t even trying to chase it because I felt like, yo, I'm not gonna waste my time trying to get that.” 

However, inspired by Smith’s encouragement, Bolt figured there was no harm in trying. "I thought, you know what, it’s not gonna hurt — let’s just go for it," he explained.

That decision changed everything. Bolt not only broke the record but was so stunned that he didn’t even know how to celebrate properly.

 "Remember, the 200 meters is my favorite event," he said. "So when I got that record, it meant way more to me than the 100, even though people now talk about the 100 a lot."

For Bolt, conquering the 200 meters — the race he cherished most — stands as perhaps the most personal triumph of his extraordinary career. And he did it, fittingly, by trusting his instincts and racing free.

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